Morningstar
by Aura Carina
Summary: An elven girl of no seemingly particular significance finds herself set on a path that will lead her to the fulfilment of a prophecy and a destiny, finding love and who she is in the process. Updated! Please R
1. Lost

Chapter 1: Lost 

Disclaimer: Give credit where it's due…you know what belongs to me and what doesn't.

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"Quick, Lai! Make for the woods! They are almost upon us!" Her mother spoke quickly, with a fearful haste in her voice. She stood in the doorway with her bow and arrows, ready to defend her home. She looked ahead to where the other homes burned, accompanied by shrieks and clanging of metal.

"Where's father?" The small elven child called Lai asked.

"He's gone to warn the villagers. Laivinelen, listen to me." The tall elf knelt to her daughter's eye level and grasped her slender arms tightly. "You must go quickly. Do not turn back. We'll find you after the orcs have passed." She drew the little girl into a hug and felt her eyes mist.

"Go. May the Valar be with you." Laivinelen heard the whisper in her ear, and clung to her mother. Shouts and screams of battle neared them, and Lai felt herself being pried from her mother's embrace and pushed out of the door.

"Run!" Her mother's voice rang out as Lai turned back to see her mother let an arrow fly. She ran as directed, away from the clashing swords and into the forest.

At first, she ran blindly, blinded by tears that streamed past her on winds and marked her passing. She received various cuts and scrapes from tree branches and leaves, along with an assortment of bruises from bumping and falling along the way. When she tripped over a protruding stone and fell for the fifth time, she did not get back up. She curled her tiny form up into a little ball and sobbed. She was frightened, frightened for her parents' safety, frightened for her own, and frightened for not knowing what she could do to help. Crying until no tears came, she got up shakily onto her feet and turned back the way she came. She ran as fast as she could, feeling a sudden urge to go back.

Trees rushed past her and the scent of wood burning met her nose. She saw the smoke first, then the burning cottage came into view.

"Mother!" Laivinelen shouted. "Father!" She ran towards the cottage, smoke making her eyes water. Then she tumbled over a fallen sword and fell flat on her face, sinking into the ashes below the smoke. She raised her head slowly…

And saw the bodies. She crawled over the stinking body of an orc and saw the beautiful Mirkwood bow of her mother cloven in two. A bloodied hand reached out to it, and Lai followed the smooth, unblemished arm with her eyes.

"Mother." She mouthed the word but did not speak. She crawled up to her mother's limp body, noticing the many crossbow bolts sticking out of her chest. When she got nearer, she saw something clutched under her mother's other arm and stopped in her tracks. It was her father's face, caked with mud and dried blood…but where was his handsome body? Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened to her father, and she backed away, her eyes glued to her father's empty staring eyes. She opened her mouth wide as if to scream, but no sound escaped her lips.

Her back hit the trunk of a tree, and she closed her eyes, leaning her small frame against it. She covered her mouth with her hands, smothering the screams that never came. Then, shocked and exhausted, she fell asleep.

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"You shouldn't be here." A calm voice woke her, and she saw an elven boy, close to her own age but a few decades older, staring down at her. His intense gaze scared her, and she trembled visibly. "It's alright. I won't hurt you." He spoke, kneeling down in front of her. "Are you lost?"

She did not respond for a long time, for she did not know how. She considered the question she was asked, and decided she was. She nodded.

He met her gaze with his blue eyes. They were strikingly similar to her mother's. She felt a droplet gather and fall, and the boy quickly reached up a hand and brushed the teardrop away. She flinched, for she thought that he was about to hurt her, but the boy had acted so fast that it took her a while to figure out what had happened. They regarded each other with a scrutinizing gaze, blue eyes poring into gray ones.

Finally, the boy spoke, offering the girl a hand. "Follow me."

She looked at the hand, as if she had not seen the likes of it in a long time. Then she tentatively took it, and let herself be raised onto her feet. She tested out her shaky legs, falling flat on her face again in the process. She ignored the boy's offered hand and stubbornly rose again to her feet alone, and promptly crumpled to the ground, weakened physically from shock and trauma. And still she rose again on her own accord, earning a smile from the boy, and this time, she succeeded. The boy made sure that she followed, and led the way in front of her, watching over his shoulder every few steps of his way.

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_"…Six dead, twenty injured, and seven missing."_

_"And the young couple?"_

_"Dead. They fought valiantly."_

_"The child?"_

_"The house burned to the ground. We found no trace of her."_

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So what do you guys think? I would appreciate any sort of feedback, so review! Yes, that means you! =) Oh, come on, it can't be that bad…you've gone through the worst part already (reading my story =P)…


	2. Led

Chapter 2: Led 

Disclaimer: Give credit where it's due…you know what belongs to me and what doesn't.

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"Come on. We're almost there." The boy reached down to grasp her hand. The road sloped up, and already fatigued beyond her tiny body's capacity, she only moved on by pure exercise of will. Refusing to rely on the boy's outstretched hand, the next step she took drained what was left of her resolve, and she collapsed onto the ground.

The boy squatted down next to her, peering over her face. Then, a smile appeared on his face. "You are very stubborn, aren't you?" He asked, clearly not expecting an answer for he got up, reaching down a hand to her laying form.

"You can trust me." He spoke, his eyes sincere.

Lai regarded his hand with deep contemplation, and her eyes shifted to his face. She searched deep within the deep blue orbs with her silver-gray ones with an intense gaze that would have made anyone uncomfortable. But he did not even flinch.

She looked down at his still confidently outstretched hand, and reached up her own small hand to grasp it. He pulled her up with a firm grasp, and she leaned on him for support as she stood. Tears stung her eyes. She blinked a few times to forbid them from falling, as her trudging footsteps shuffled against the self-assured strides of the boy. They went on, their differing steps some how complimenting each other, one augmenting the rhythm of the other. The woods around them remained quiet, their usual woodland sounds distant as if to give the two a gift of serene calm.

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"Halt! Who goes there?" A clear voice rang out, and Lai opened her eyes. She had closed them during the course of the journey, too tired to keep them open.

"It is I." The boy spoke, and added softly. "Since you woke her up, you wouldn't mind carrying her to the healing room, would you?"

"I apologize, Prince." The guard bowed deeply. "I did not recognize you in those garbs." He whispered quickly to another guard standing next to him, and the other guard took his place as he walked up to Lai. When he leaned down to pick her up, she clung to the boy in protest.

"It's ok." The boy spoke to her. He met her eyes, reassuring her that nothing horrible would happen to her. She reluctantly let go, and let herself be picked up.

"Be careful." The boy spoke firmly to the guard, and held the little girl's hand briefly. "I'll see you in a little while. Don't worry." With that, he squeezed her hand and walked briskly off. She stared at his retreating form, as she felt herself being carried off in the opposite direction. When she could see him no more, she closed her eyes, and fell into troubled sleep.

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"Every last of the injured have left, except for her. No one has come for her. Where have her parents gone?"

"They were killed. I found her asleep near the edge of the woods." Pause. "She has no place to stay."

"She can stay with us."

"Wouldn't Father object?"

"It was his idea." Chuckle. "We have always wanted a daughter."

"I think she's waking. She's shifting in her sleep."

"She's been doing that a lot. I think she must be having nightmares."

"Well, she's awake now. Look, she's opening her eyes."

Lai opened her eyes, sitting up and trembling as she remembered her dream. Her father's blank eyes still stared back at her, accusing her for not coming fast enough, forever imprinted in her mind. She shook violently, and gentle hands held her still. She looked up at the source of the comfort, and found the familiar deep blue eyes, this time on the face of a beautiful woman dressed in fine clothes, watching her kindly. She remembered her mother's gentle hands that held her last and the same deep blue eyes, and felt tears spring to her eyes again. She swallowed and looked down.

"What is your name, dear child?" The woman asked, her voice soft and melodious.

She could not speak, for her voice had left her along with her resolve not to cry. She choked out a sob, and tears that were held back flowed freely down her face in uncontrollable torrents.

"Was it something I said?" The woman mouthed to her son, who had put his arm around the little frame shaking with violent sobs. He shook his head, and signaled for her to come back later. She nodded and left the room.

Lai quit crying eventually, out of pure exhaustion. As she quieted, the boy felt the tiny girl grow heavy as she drifted off to sleep. He lowered her back down onto the bed, and pulled up the covers over her small trembling form. He felt his eyes grow wet as he sat down in the chair next to the bed, looking at her exhausted and troubled face.

"May you find peace in your dreams…Artuntaure (Noble woods)."

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Thanks **_Maigain_** for reviewing! You are my first-ever reviewer! Yay! I tried hard to make the dialogue seem as realistic and interesting as possible…it really means a lot to me that you liked it! =D

**_Silvar_**- I humbly bow down deeper in return…you are too kind…I hope you liked this chapter!

**_Lintered-_** I'm sorry I couldn't update sooner…the server was busy or something, and it wouldn't let me upload any sooner…please accept my deepest apologies. O=)

**_Teveldin-_** As always, I am glad to hear from you. I'm going to have to put Lai through some more turmoil…but you never know…things might turn out all right in the end, right? wink Not telling you anything else, though…wait and see! =D

Thanks everyone for reviewing!


	3. Adopted

Chapter 3: Adopted 

Disclaimer: Give credit where it's due…you know what belongs to me and what doesn't.

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Lai woke up the next day, rubbing her eyes against the light filtering in through the drawn curtains. She peeled the covers off herself, and brought herself up shakily into a sitting position. She saw that some time during the night, her various cuts and scratches had been treated, along with the deep purple and blue bruises that had sprung up all over her arms and legs. She saw that she was in a white robe, and her feet were bare. She also noticed that her arms and legs (aside from the fading bruises and almost invisible cuts) were clean, as if she had just stepped out from taking a bath in the village springs. Her deep brown hair, sun-kissed with many light highlights, had been washed with something that smelled like her mother's carefully tended flower gardens.

The pain of loss and guilt came upon her fresh without warning, and she gasped as she fell back on her back, tears welling up in her eyes. She shivered violently, and reached with trembling hands for the covers, and wrapped herself tightly in them. The horrible vision passed before her eyes again, and she closed her eyes, trying to shut it out. The vision came to her more clearly than before, shutting out all other things around her, the warmth of the blankets, the sunlight that was seeping in through the curtains, the comfort of the soft bed. She only felt the cold that was now familiar to her, the vivid images of the severed head of her father, the crude crossbow bolts sticking out of her mother's chest, accompanied by the shrieking of her own voice in her head that never seemed to be able to escape through her throat. She twisted in the bed, trying to shake it all from her head.

At last, it passed, and she opened her eyes tentatively, just as the curtains opened and the blue-eyed boy walked in. He looked a lot different from the last time she had seen him, and if it had not been for the way his intense blue eyes fell on her, she would not have recognized him. For one thing, he was clean. Just as she must have been covered with soot and ash, he had been covered with dirt and dark smudges all over his face, arms, and bare feet, clothed in dirty clothes that had been a bit too large on him, patched up in a few places and torn in others. Now, he was wearing a white silky shirt that had elaborate leaf and curving vines embroidery on it with silver thread, and soft green trousers with a mithril belt at his waist, with brown leather boots at his feet. His golden hair, which had been tied back with a strap of leather when she saw him last, was left to settle on his shoulders under a simple circlet of mithril. She suddenly remembered the guard from last night, who had addressed the boy as prince. She had been too troubled to notice its significance then, just as she had no idea where it was that she was being led to. But now, seeing the boy in fine clothes and noting the beautiful surroundings around her, she had a revelation. He must be the prince of Mirkwood! And I must be in the palace of Mirkwood! Lai realized. At realizing this, she closed her eyes.

The boy, whose eyes had lit up at seeing Lai well and awake, walked into the small space, letting the curtain fall behind him. His eyes, now frowning in concern for her unusual behavior, fell on her face.

"I did not mean to alarm you." He started slowly, and Lai heard a slight shifting sound next to her as he lowered himself down onto the chair placed next to her bed. "And I'm glad to see that you woke up. It's been five moons and it's the sixth sun since you fell asleep."

At this, she opened her eyes, and turned her gaze to the voice. The boy, the prince of Mirkwood, she reminded herself, smiled at her when she met his eyes. He was talking to her as if he was talking to an equal, as if he was actually concerned about her. As if he actually cared. She searched within his eyes and found only sincerity and true concern for her well-being.

"Do you feel well enough to walk?" He asked her, his voice soft as if he thought her fragile. It annoyed her, and in answer, she peeled the covers off her again, rising to a sitting position, and swung her legs over. She tested out her legs, making sure that they would hold her weight, and triumphantly rose to her feet. A sudden dizziness overwhelmed her when she did, and she swayed on her feet. When the dark patches cleared, she saw that, to her further annoyance, the boy had kept her from falling and was supporting her upright.

"You will be all right once you get some food in you." He said, grinning at the expression of sheer annoyance on her face. As if in answer, a low growl sounded from Lai's stomach, issuing light laughter from the boy.

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She was lying on a beautifully carved, dark wood framed plush bed, wrapped up in soft sheets, in the room that they told her was hers. She surveyed her surroundings, watching with slight disbelief at the luxurious gossamer periwinkle canopy over her head, the silken silvery-white sheets and matching pillows, the bed softer than any bed she had ever laid on. Then she remembered what was beyond the canopy curtains, the window that looked out into the courtyard to her right, where the bedside table, in matching dark wood as the bed, stood. An empty dark wood wardrobe was next to the door on her left, and a dark wood table stood against the opposite wall from the bed, in front of a mirror, with a plush dark blue chair under it. There was a velvet rug portraying a scenic view of a forest on the floor, and soft velvet slippers for her feet next to the bed for her to slip her feet into in the morning so her feet would never have to touch the cold stone floor.

The canopy lifted and someone, upon entering, bowed. "I will be here in the morning, Lady Artuntaure. If you need me during the night, I will be in the room down the hall." It was her own handmaiden, Nenel, who was speaking to her. Then, hearing no reply, the maiden bid her good night and retreated.

Then, left alone, the girl who was now called Artuntaure—since she had not spoken to anyone since the day she saw her parents killed, not even to say her own name—wept into the soft pillows and when she felt no tears come, fell asleep.

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Please review…it doesn't take that long…no really, it doesn't…and it makes the writer very happy…even if they are not compliments…=)

Golden Hobbit- Thanks for reviewing! And I'll definitely read your story…=) 

**_Teveldin-_** Compared to the last one, I guess this is a late update, eh? But since you haven't been on…I guess it doesn't matter much. I miss you, my LotR fan friend! =(


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